The field of the invention is systems for generating electrical power from waste water discharged into the spillway of a waste water treatment plant.
Most municipalities operate waste water treatment facilities located on waterways such as rivers, large lakes, or the seashore. These facilities are sited on elevated locations, typically higher than the hundred year flood mark, to prevent backwash from wrecking the facility in the event of a flood. As a result of this design, all treated discharge water flows from the elevated processing facility through a spillway to enter the waterway. Discharge spillways often contain a drop of between eight and fifty feet, or larger in areas with severe tides or flooding risk. The flowing water in the spillway is a potential source, largely untapped at the present time, of clean renewable energy to generate electricity.